Learning to live
by WhiteWolfKitsune
Summary: Chapter 8: How to be gay. Some of the guys in school think Ryou Bakura would be easy to rape: and apparently, Bakura shares this opinion. Friendship!BakuraXRyou! Fanfic with themed chapters collection!
1. Intro: HeartBeats

My first try at a YGO fic. Be gentle- I have limited knowledge on this program. :3

Some Japanese words, but if you read a lot of fanfiction, you should know what they mean XD

Not yaoi. More of a friendship fic. And I have warped the story line, so please ignore it. :D

_

* * *

_Bakura can always hear Ryou's heart-beat in the back of his mind, and it comforts him a little to know his host is still alive and well. Despite being the man's punch-bag and out-let for anger, he knew the boy was trying to be friends with him, no matter how much pain the Thief caused him. 

A friend.

Bakura hadn't really had one of those before. Evil acquaintances, yes, but never a _friend_. The man didn't know how to deal with matters of 'friend-ship' and such, but he had learned a lot from Ryou in his time with him.

"_Bakura, these flowers are very pretty." _

"_No, there not. Gleaming mountains of gold are pretty, Hikari." _

_Bakura looked up at him with wide, shocked eyes._

"_But it's nicer when you give someone flowers!" The boy smiled, causing the Thief to scowl. _

"_I would rather have money any day."_

There conversations almost always ended like this, and they rarely talked at all. Ryou was a little afraid of him, and the man knew that. Who isn't a little afraid of him?

Currently, the man was leaning against a wall in Ryou's bedroom, watching the boy sleep. He looked even smaller when he was sleeping, and he was practically _tiny_ anyway. He didn't know why the boy was so small, but it was probably because the world around him was so _big_.

Ryou snorted slightly, and rolled over, a tense look on his face. He was probably having a nightmare about his Yami, as he usually did. If he wanted to be friends with him, why did he keep having these pained visions about him?

Well, he did inhabit the teen's body…

Bakura let out a non-existent breath and turned his eyes to the window. It was a nice night out that night, and the moon was full in the sky. It wasn't like the spirit needed to sleep anyway, so he decided to watch it for a bit.

It was white.

So pure… Did this mean he was black? Had he not helped others before? He deserved some justice in his life. If he ever did stop being a maniac, he would be good, and not do evil-

Who was he kidding himself. He had evil in his heart. Well, in _Ryou's_ heart, since they shared a body. The spirit had his own heart-beat, but he could always hear Ryou's. He could still hear it beating, but faster than before. That must be some nightmare to scare him that much. Maybe he should wake him up…

"Nah, let him be." Bakura said aloud. It didn't matter, because it didn't wake his host. The boy didn't get enough sleep as it is. Most of the time, he would wake up to find crimson eyes gleaming at him from the darkness, without a body to hold them. This was enough to scare him, even though most of the time he knew it was just Bakura, being his usual, creepy self.

Flicking a lock of white hair from his face, he drifted silently over to his Hikari's bed, and looked at him closely. The boy was sweating and murmuring to himself.

Bakura briefly considered looking at his dreams, but decided not to. He knew what a warped mind the teen had, and he hadn't helped one bit. It was probably because of his fascination of cults and death.

He slowly reached under the bed, and searched for the item he always knew would be there. A small piece of paper. A new one was there every week, and each one said something different.

_Dear sister, _

_Having a great time over here. Are you ok? Are you staying healthy? Please say yes, so I don't worry. _

_My friend Bakura is still very hash with me but I deserve it. I know he only wants to help me get stronger and such. When I come and visit you, I'll bring him with me, so you can see, ok? Im sure you'll like him._

_He told me he look's forward to meeting you one day, and he said he will personally take me to you. Isn't that great? He can be your friend too!_

_Ok, I have to go now. Sorry it's so short, but Bakura wants me to take a bath. I never get your reply letters… make sure you send them to the right address!_

_I love you._

_Ryou xxx_

"Hikari…" Bakura breathed, feeling the need to rip the letter to shreds growing. The boy still didn't know that his sister was dead. That was partly because as soon as the death letter came, he had burned it so the boy would never know. If Ryou found out the letters he sent never reached his sister, he would be severely upset, and Bakura didn't want him to be sad. In fact, if he found out that Bakura had kept it from him, the boy would probably commit suicide, one way or another.

Ryou also didn't know that Bakura only said things like "Sure, I'll be friends with your sister" and "I'd love to take you to her one day" to make the boy happy. Ryou had missed her funeral as well, because when the invitation arrived, he had also burnt it. The day it was on, he had taken Ryou out for ice-cream at the ice-cream shop.

"_Bakura, this is so nice!" Ryou chimed from across him, licking his ice-cream cone as Bakura watched him. The spirit didn't need to eat._

"_Im glad you like it." Bakura noticed he sounded spiteful, and saw Ryou stop eating and glance at him with his round eyes. "I told the man to make it especially for you, since you deserve it." He added softly, making Ryou smile widely. The man could feel the boy's joy flood through their mind link._

"_Thank-you, Bakura!" He continued eating, making Bakura smile as well. "Have some!" He thrust a rather large spoon of the cream-and-pink colored substance at his Yami, poking his mouth with it._

"_Hikari, it is yours. You eat it." The spirit countered, pushing the spoon away from himself._

"_Please?" The tone of his voice made the Thief shudder. Sighing somewhat angrily, he grabbed the spoon off of the boy and quickly put it in his mouth. His eyes instantly went wide. _

_Why was it so COLD?_

_Swallowing numbly, he shivered as his mind seemed to ice over and mild pain erupted in his skull. He gasped and quickly placed a hand on his head._

"_No, Yami! Don't eat ice-cream to fast, or you will get brain freeze!" Ryou gasped, leaning over the table and taking the spoon off of the shivering Bakura. _

"_They serve this? And YOU EAT IT?" Being an Egyptian, he never saw snow, let alone tasted ice-cream. He never wanted to try that again. "My BRAIN has FROZEN!"_

_Ryou laughed at him, earning a glare from his companion. _

"_But you liked the taste, didn't you?"_

"… _Shut-up, yadonushi."_

Bakura didn't want to tell him what a sad day it was, and that his sister was being lowered into the ground as they spoke. It wasn't a very nice thought.

Bakura tried to be nice that day, and was rewarded with a smiling Hikari. It was nice, he had to admit, but it still didn't hold a candle to ripping off someone's limb and watching as there life-blood poured away from them…

He tossed the paper back underneath the bed, and concentrated on his host's heart-beat again. It was unnaturally fast, and in the midst of the Yami's thoughts, the nightmare must have gotten worse. He should wake him up.

Sighing, he placed a hand on Ryou's quivering shoulder and shook him, trying to rouse him. It didn't work. Bakura shook harder, earning a cry from the boy, but he still didn't wake up.

"Hikari! Hikari! RYOU!" Bakura rarely used the boy's name out loud, and that was what probably woke him up.

Ryou shot up straight, clutching one hand over his pounding heart whilst breathing heavily. He looked up to see his Yami staring down at him.

"You were having a nightmare." The spirit said before Ryou could ask. Ryou nodded slowly and waiting for his nerves to collect before looking up at his Yami again. Those crimson eyes were still staring at him. It scared him slightly, and he tried to stop that feeling flowing through his mind link.

"What is so scary about me, Hikari?" Bakura asked, sitting next to the boy. The boy looked at him with his chocolate colored eyes.

"N-nothing, Yami…" He stuttered, blinking a lot. The spirit rolled his eyes.

"Tell me. What am I to you?"

"…We are like Yugi and the Pharaoh..."

"We are nothing like Yugi and the Pharaoh, yadonushi. Yugi doesn't fear his Yami." Bakura said slowly, patience running away from him. He didn't like all this fear- it got in the way.

"I don't fear you, Bakura. Its just sometimes, you are so-" Ryou didn't get to finish before Bakura's face was suddenly in front of his.

"Angry? Is that what you were going to say?" Bakura yet again felt fear within his host, and he tried to calm down. He sighed quietly, messing up his hair with his hand.

"Do you know, yadonushi, that I have never really had a friend? When you are a thief, you cannot trust anybody, and so I never had anyone. And you… when you make friends, Hikari, I destroy them, so you can know how I have felt for thousands of years. It makes me angry that you can make friends so easily."

"But Bakura, Im your friend!" Ryou wrapped his hands around his Yami's waist and hugged him tightly, pressing his head against Bakura's chest. He could hear his Yami's heart-beat- it was slow and rhythmic, unlike his own.

Bakura made no attempt to move him, since the boy would probably cry if the man told him to get off. So he left him there, not bothering to hug back.

He didn't know how to.

"And you're like my brother." Ryou said, voice muffled. _Brother?_ Where the hell did that come from? They weren't related at all!

"Hikari, where did you get that from?" Bakura asked, making Ryou look up.

"We look the same, and you are always with me. It was like me and my sister when we were little, and before I moved. We are brothers, Bakura!" Ryou squeaked, hugging him again. He boy probably missed having family, since most of them were practically dead. He was lonely…

Very lonely…

"Hikari, I cannot say that I am a good brother."

"I know, Yami. I have seen your thoughts…" Ryou trailed off, sitting backwards so he wasn't hugging the man anymore.

Bakura turned away from his light and stared out the window again. His host's attempt at being his friend was nice, but it didn't work. Yugi had Atem and Malik (unfortunately) had Marik, so why couldn't he have Ryou as a friend?

Because he didn't need him.

"Bakura, you _can_ have me as a friend." Shit, he forgot his yadonushi could read his mind.

"Don't worry yourself, host. I will find my own friends." And with that, his spirit walked out of the room and dissolved into the shadows.

"Bakura, I will teach you how to get friends!" Ryou called after him, feeling mild amusement from his Yami.

"You can try."

* * *

As I said, this is not supposed to be Yaoi, no matter how Yaoi looking it seems XD 

Please review, and I will make this into a proper fic, as it is only a one-shot at the moment! I have a super special awesome idea for it… hmmmm... -Evil-

WhiteWolfKitsune xxx

Its amazing how many people read yet dont reveiw! Make this youngster happy by clicking the 'Review' button, and saying your opinion. -Sniffles- it makes the authors very happy!


	2. How to Read

We all love friendship fics :D

Learning to live:

How to read

Ever since the events of the night before, Ryou had been in a good mood. He was determined to help Bakura find friends of his own so he didn't pester his all day.

Bakura, however, was not in a good mood. His happy-go-lucky Hikari had been bounding around his apartment all morning, for some unknown reason. He was sure had it had something to do with the "Lets go make friends!" thing the boy had in his mind. He didn't WANT friends! He had himself, and of course, Ryou to look after, let alone anyone else.

"Hikari, why are you so happy today? It's annoying." He growled, hitting the kettle. Why was this thing taking so long to heat up? He needed coffee…

"Yami, you are just in a foul mood." Ryou sang. "And im just happy to see you."

Bakura scoffed quietly and glared at the kettle again. It was still not heating up. Fuck electricity! Back in his day, the _simple_ days, heating water consisted of either leaving it out sun if you were low on resources, or heating it over a fire…

Damn… he suddenly felt really old…

"Hikari! Why isn't this getting hot!" Bakura hissed, trying to shake the life out if. Ryou blinked and walked over to him, an amused smile on his face.

"Because you have not turned it on."

Bakura narrowed his eyes and flipped the switch on the wall, the little light on the kettle flickering on. And that was it, for the next ten minutes. The man felt his patience start to snap after a while.

Today was _not_ going to be a good day.

* * *

It was raining. Bakura still didn't understand why his Hikari liked the rain, but he followed none-the-less. Where ever they went, they got weird looks from the citizens of Domino. They looked like twins- except one was always smiling while the other was always frowning. 

People would always come up to them and say "Look! How cute! You two are wearing the same clothes as each-other!" or "You brothers look so sweet!" and then they would try to ruffle their hair. Ryou enjoyed it, but as soon as they tried to touch Bakura, he would snap at them and tell them to "Go away!", and, if the person was a man, "Fuck off you fag!" Ryou would watch them hurry away from his 'brother', and would stare up at him with his chocolate-colored eyes, making Bakura feel guilty…

"Where are we going, Yadonushi?" Bakura sneezed, trying to huddle closer to Ryou underneath the umbrella. He didn't want to get even more wet than he was.

"To the library." Ryou answered, another innocent smile on his face. Bakura just growled and continued on mumbling about the weather.

His Hikari was always watching the rain from his apartment, jumping whenever thunder sounded, a psychotic grin on his face. Bakura had guessed the boy had some sort of 'lightning fetish'. Or maybe he just thought it was pretty.

After a while, they arrived at a great stone building with dragons curling around the entrance, the street light illuminating them flickering off and on. Ryou took down the umbrella as soon as they got it, and Bakura shook his head to get rid of the water, spraying the liquid everywhere. He looked like a drowned rat.

"Don't do that, Yami." Ryou whispered as the receptionist eyed them over her paper. Ryou smiled, and she smiled back happily. This put Bakura in an even worse mood.

"Hello, Ryou!" She cooed at him, pinching his cheeks. "And who is your… lovely friend!" She flinched at his scowl.

"This is my brother…'Kura!" Ryou smiled, making Bakura choke. '_KURA?_ That sounded like a girl's name!

"Kura Bakura? What an… unusual name!" The receptionist beamed. Bakura couldn't take much more of this.

"Why are we here!?" Bakura growled, earning stares from the library's occupants. Ryou jumped and dragged him off behind a bookcase, saying a quick 'fare well' to the receptionist.

"Bakura!"

"Why can't I be called 'Bakura?' Why 'KURA?" Bakura almost screamed, but stopped when a hand was placed over his mouth.

"Because you can't be called Bakura! That's my last name, so you would be 'Bakura Bakura' if you were my brother."

"Anything is better than 'Kura Bakura!" he snapped, biting the hand that was at his face lightly. Ryou quickly pulled his hand back and wiped it on his top.

"You are supposed to be quiet in here." The boy said simply, and plucked a few books off there respected shelves. He ignored the angry Yami with practiced ease. "And I need to do homework." Ryou sat himself down at a nearby table, threw his bag onto the floor and began to scan the books he had chosen.

When Bakura suddenly found his mind link flooded with text and historical facts he closed it off. What non-sense!

He snorted loudly, and wondered away from his un-knowing Hikari. He hated places like these- they were too quiet. He eyed all the humans, reading there stupid little books with interest. They were probably reading tales of magical creatures and such, prancing around in make-believe fields! _By Ra, this building is a waste of space!_ He scowled mentally.

He stalked over to the children's area and picked up a colourful yet random book, eying it. _What is so exciting_ _about books?_ The thief thought, opening it. There was a picture of a cat and a dog talking together happily.

How childish.

"He…a…hu…" He couldn't understand the text at all. He looked over to his shoulder, to peek at what a person at the table was reading. The page was _littered_ with complex words.

"Must be some smart-ass." Bakura mumbled, and put the book back down. And then he picked it back up again.

It embarrassed him that he couldn't read. He could barely read Egyptian, as he was never really taught, and this language was even harder. Sure, he could speak it, thanks to his host, but he didn't understand what things said on signs, and he couldn't read instructions to use things like the kettle.

The book stared up at him from his hand, mocking him. This was the _children's_ section, and he still couldn't read it. He sighed angrily, and opened up the book again.

"…H….huh…..lel…. FUCK!" He snarled, and stood up sharply. The receptionist was looking at him angrily but he didn't care. He stormed over to Ryou, shutting the boy's book and placing his one over it.

"Bakura?" Ryou asked, wondering where the sudden outburst had come from.

"Hikari, what does his say?" He hissed, jabbing the words underneath the picture. Ryou peered down slowly and then looked back up at his darker-half.

"It says 'Hello, Mr.Cat'." Ryou answered, as if it was obvious. "Why?"

Bakura blinked rapidly and frowned. Something as _simple_ as that was written like _that?_ He really was an idiot…

"No, Yami. You're not an idiot, you just cannot read. I can teach you, if you want." Ryou smiled up at him. Damn, he had forgotten the boy could read his mind. The frown on Bakura's face disappeared and his eyes went soft.

"No, Ryou. Do your homework." That was the second time he had used the boys name, and the second time he had been shocked by it.

Ryou sighed and yanked him down into the seat next to him, getting some paper and a pen out of his bag. He wrote down a single letter on the page and then shoved it over to Bakura, who just stared at it blankly.

"Huh?"

"'A'. That's the letter. Copy it, Yami!" Ryou said cheerfully. "You cannot read when you don't know how to write!"

"No way! This is degrading, Hikari! I would rather not learn if-" He was cut off when he saw the look Ryou was giving him. He looked like some kind of little, lost, innocent kitten…

"Fine." He gave in way too easily, but he didn't mind. It was making Ryou happy.

He picked up the pencil and shakily drew a replicate of the letter on the paper, nearly snapping the pencil in half because he was pressing so hard. When he finished, he smiled proudly.

"Well done, Yami!" Ryou praised, trying not to laugh at his companions shaky attempt. "Now on to the next one!"

"Huh! How many are there!"

"Twenty-six. Well, only twenty-five now."

"…Shit."

* * *

"-And-d he wernt- went hum- home to slep- sleeep. The ed-end." Bakura finished, shakily closing the book. That was _hard_. Ryou applauded him un-sarcastically, making the man glow. 

"I knew you could do it!" The boy beamed from his bed as his Yami smiled again beside him. "You can read your first book!"

They had been in the library for the whole day, and they only left because it was closing. Bakura had been persistent, and wasn't going to leave until he had learnt how to read 'Hello, Mr.Cat'. It had taken a lot of patience to teach him, and a lot of persuasion to keep him from getting kicked out, but in the end he had finally done it. _And_ he had rented out the book.

"I am very proud of you, Yami."

"Thank you." Bakura smiled softly, messing up Ryou's hair as he yawned. "For teaching me, that is."

Ryou was practically purring at the man's words. He loved making his Yami happy.

"You should sleep now, though." Bakura turned off the light, hearing Ryou snuggle into his duvet.

"Goodnight."

"G'night."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Hikari, you didn't finish your homework." Bakura suddenly reminded him. He heard Ryou sigh and the boy opened an eye.

"I can do it tomorrow…" He yawned again, wondering how his Yami had remembered that.

"What was it about?"

"…It was a project about the different gods of the world. I happen to be studying the Egyptian ones." Even without the light, he could see his other's feral grin in the darkness.

"I can help you with that."

* * *

Ryou-chan : Yay! Thank you! 

Stardust101: Lol! All of them should happen! XD

Hakurei Ryuu: Do you know how CUTE that fic sounds!? You have to tell me what its called:D Pretty pleeeease?

MalikLove: I love your name! I keep having this nightmare where I have a steak on my head and Bakura's chasing me with a fork… O.o

Soz, its reaaaally short. I didn't know how I could make it longer! XD

Review, and you shall all have Bakura visit you in the night and give you cookies:D And if he isn't giving you cookies, he is sending you to the shadow realm.. o.O

WhiteWolfKitsune xxx

PS: I OWN 'HELLO MR.CAT' THE BOOK!!! MMMWWWAAHAHAHAH!!!


	3. How to Fight

Learning to live:

How to fight.

The next day, after getting little sleep from Bakura as he ranted on about the 'gods' or whatever, Ryou awoke to find his Yami already reading 'Hello Mr.Cat' over to himself. He wasn't sure when he had to give that book back, but he knew Bakura had some weird connection to it.

"Yami, where you up all night reading?" Ryou yawned, going to make himself some tea. Bakura snorted, but didn't look up from his book.

Ryou rolled his eyes and looked at the clock, nearly dropping his drink in his alarm.

"Bakura! We have school today!" He yelped, and hurried to get dressed.

"No, _you_ have school today." Came the answer. He would rather stay at home and read all day, even if he had to read the same book over and over again.

"Fine then. You stay here." Ryou sighed, quickly brushing his teeth. He hoped that Bakura would not do anything to drastic while he was gone.

"Bye, Bakura!"

"Whatever."

It wasn't that Ryou didn't mind Bakura's attitude, it was just that he wished that the man would at least say 'goodbye' every now and again. It made him feel unwanted.

Shrugging off these thoughts, he slammed the door and proceeded to race to school, where he was sure that his friends would be waiting.

* * *

When Ryou came back home, Bakura was attempting to read a magazine, but failing. The room was littered with paper, which he assumed that his Yami had also tried to read, but had, yet again, failed.

He sighed wearily and didn't bother greeting his Darkness. Instead, he went straight to his room and closed the door behind him, making Bakura jump. He could feel distress at the end of his mind link, and it made him wonder why his Hikari was not acting like himself.

He tossed the magazine on the floor carelessly, and stormed over to his Host's room, not bothering to knock.

"Yadonushi!" He growled, looking around for him. Sure enough, his host was sitting on the bed, a pillow covering his face.

"…Yes?" came the shaky reply. Bakura rolled his eyes and walked briskly up to him.

"Why do you have a pillow on your face?" He questioned, receiving only a shrug as an answer. Bakura hissed and snatched the pillow away from him, making Ryou cover his face with his hands.

"What is wrong, Hikari? What are you hiding?" He said, voice somewhat softer than usual. He heard quiet sobs coming from his other, and he assumed the boy was crying.

"I-I don't want t-to show you, Yami. Y-you will think I-Im weak!" He sobbed harder, hiding his face more. Bakura resisted the urge to just snap his arms so he could just see what was wrong.

"I wont." Bakura sighed, placing his hands on his hips in an over dramatic fashion. This had better be something bad. He had to pretend he actually cared-

"Oh, god." He breathed, and traced his fingers over Ryou's face. There was a bruise that ran from his nose, over his eyes and to the top of his head. There was dried blood on his cheek where the injury had split open, the purple skin looking like it had been caught in a cat-fight.

"_Hey, freak!" _

"_Huh?"_

"_Yeah, you!" _

_Ryou turned around timidly, to be met with three guys that were all bigger than him._

"_Whats with the hair, freak? You look like some sort of gay albino." The biggest one laughed, grabbing his hair. Ryou squeaked in pain and flailed around in his grasp._

"_Stop it!" He cried, trying to push the guy away. He just laughed, and pushed Ryou over. _

"_Don't mess with me, kid!" He picked the smaller boy up by his collar and shook him until Ryou could only see stars. "Because you don't know who you're messing with." _

_Ryou felt the punch much faster than he expected. The next one, however, didn't register in his mind. Nor did the next one. _

_It was only when he was on the floor, blood oozing down his face, did he realise he had been repeatedly struck. He tried to get up, but was kicked down again by a heavy boot._

"_Don't bother telling anyone, Freak." The bully mused as he and his friends walked away from the injured Ryou. "No-one will listen."_

"Ryou, what is this?" Bakura nearly shouted, but refrained from doing so. Ryou looked away, as if Bakura already knew the answer.

"It was those bullies again, right?" He snarled, anger rising. How _dare _they do something like that to an innocent kid like Ryou? "That's it. Im coming to school with you tomorrow."

"What? No, you cant!" Ryou wailed, wiping the tears off the non-bruised side of his face. "I'll get into even more trouble!"

"I don't care, Ryou. Im coming, whether you like it or not."

* * *

It was a fairly normal school day. He got an 'A' on his history project on the Egyptian gods, causing his Yami to smirk. Bakura had stayed quiet throughout the lessons, and Ryou was bully-free, although people continuously asked him about his face, and how he had done it. He just shrugged and said he had 'fell off the bed'.

Yugi and the rest of the gang knew the real reason, and had protected him through-out the day. He was glad he had friends like that. They had even offered to take him home, but he declined, saying 'they had done enough' and had thanked them. Now, he was walking home alone, talking to the un-usually quiet Bakura.

"Thank-you for coming with me, Bakura." Ryou whispered as he looked nervously around his surroundings. There was no-one but him on the school court.

Bakura didn't answer. In truth, he had wanted the bullies to come, so he could rip out their intestines and wrap them around their throats-

"Yami, that's mean." Ryou scolded.

Bakura mentally pouted, and wondered why his Hikari would be defending the people that had beat him up.

"Hey, freak."

_Yes! _Bakura thought smugly. _Action time! _He immediately took control of Ryou's body at the tone, ignoring his startled Hikari who was mentally shouting at him. There was a slight glow of the Millennium ring and Ryou's hair grew slightly spikier, accompanied by slightly narrower eyes.

He spun around to come face to face with three guys, all with smug looks on their faces. Bakura guessed they were admiring the work of art on his face.

"So, wittle Wyou came back for mwore?" The biggest of them laughed, causing the others to chuckle beside him.

"No, I didn't." Bakura snorted, stuffing his hands into his pocket. "Im walking home, idiot."

_Yami! Don't do anything drastic! _He heard Ryou wail in his mind.

_I wont hurt them… much. _

"What?" The big bully hissed, cracking his knuckles. "We don't like to be insulted by the likes of you."

"Care to do anything about it?" Bakura laughed, jumping out the way as a fist was thrown at his face.

"Too slow."

He ran at the biggest bully, bringing his knee up to his stomach and knowing the wind out of him. As he fell to the floor, he kicked him out of the way and slammed his fist expertly into one of the smaller bullies face, causing him to squeak as he fell backwards.

By now, the bigger one was getting up, and was looking pissed.

"I'll crush you!" He ran blindly at Bakura who just side stepped and tripped him up, causing him to smash his face into the pavement.

"Yeah right." Bakura taunted, glaring at the other two. "You want to fight me too?"

They both shook their heads vigorously and charged off, leaving their companion on the floor in pain.

Bakura shrugged and kicked him one last time 'for fun'.

"Don't bother me ever again." He snarled, watching as the bully nodded and slowly got off. He spared one last look at his former victim and sped off in the direction of his friends.

_That soft enough for you? _Bakura asked his Hikari, who was half smiling, half frowning. He didn't really agree with violence, but he appreciated Bakura doing that for him. He was pretty sure he would be left alone from now on.

_Thank-you, Bakura. _Came the reply. The Yami smirked and headed 'home', in a better mood than usual.

That felt good.

* * *

"Are you sure your ok?" Bakura asked, before turning off the light to his tired looking Hikari. There was a slight nod, as Ryou slowly closed his eyes.

"Im fine, Yami."

"So… You don't want me to come to school anymore?"

Ryou snapped his eyes open and stared at Bakura with a amazed look. Was that a _disappointed _tone he heard?

"Ok, who are you and what have you done with Bakura?" He laughed, causing the man in question to pout.

"I wor-" He stopped his sentence, and turned off the light suddenly. "I don't want to come to your crappy school." He stated, returning to the ring.

_Go to sleep._

Ryou smiled to himself and closed his eyes, leaning into his pillow.

_You worry about me, Yami. _He stated mentally.

No-one replied.

* * *

Well, a little bit of fluff there! XD

Astarael's Get: Lol! -Gives you a virtual copy of 'Hello Mr.Cat- Is this ok? XD

FlyingShadow666: Thank you for reviewing:3

Hakurei Ryuu: I was aiming for it to be funny… did it work:D

-Gives you cookies- Thank you for reviewing!

WhiteWolfKitsune xxx


	4. How to Care

Learning to live:

How to care.

It was a weekend, which meant 'Yami-Hikari-Bonding-Time' for Bakura, who was watching his Hikari with interested eyes. Weird as it was, it was part of his morning routine.

It was interesting to watch how his Other reacted to different things. Like how he loved it when he could see his reflection in the glass table, which meant all his cleaning work (which Bakura did not help with) had paid off. Or when there was a spider, in which he would cower and plead his Yami to remove it; not to kill it. Bakura would shrug and throw it out of the window, which made Ryou shriek in horror and ask him questions like "Can spiders survive a fall like that?"

Sometimes, there was no pleasing him at all. But, after all, that was just what he was like.

Right now, Ryou was humming softly to himself; a habit of his. He was playing with something on the kitchen counter, but because Bakura was too lazy to see what it was, he couldn't tell what he was really doing.

"What are you staring at, Yami?" Ryou asked cautiously, his hands flying to his head. "Have I got something on my face?"

"No." Said Bakura bluntly, crossing his arms. "I've just got nothing else to look at."

"Well then, go out somewhere." Ryou said softly, turning back to what ever he was doing at the kitchen counter.

"To where?"

"… The park."

"Why? It's a horrible day out. It looks like its going to rain." Bakura snorted, casting his gaze out of the window. It was extremely grey looking, and the clouds were no doubt heavy with water.

Ryou blinked in surprise and also stared out the window.

"Well then, stay here and help me-"

"Im gone."

The front door was slammed shut and the sound of footsteps gradually died down. Ryou sighed and looked at the bedside table. The book which usually sat there was not there anymore.

"He has an obsession." The Hikari concluded.

* * *

_9:00 pm… where is he?_ Ryou thought anxiously, chewing his finger nails. It was dark and raining outside, and Bakura hadn't returned yet. Their mind link was closed, so the Light couldn't communicate with his Dark, and that made him worry even more.

What if something bad had happened to him? Well, nothing truly bad could happen to him- he technically couldn't die. But what if he was in pain or captured or being tortured or worse?

What if he was sick of Ryou and wanted to get away from him?

These thoughts plagued Ryou as he paced up and down. _He's never been out this long alone before…_

Ryou fought to control himself as his active imagination kicked into overdrive and bloody scenarios popped into his head, all of them involving Bakura being maimed in some way. The spirits physical body was weak, and didn't last forever. He needed to get back to the ring sometime-

Wait. Now he was just contradicting himself.

_9:09… Maybe im just being paranoid... _And then, out of nowhere, the mind link opened, and Ryou instantly panicked.

_Where have you-_

Bakura felt his Lights fear flood their link, along with some other emotions. Anger, worry, nervousness, panic. He was breathing fast, and his heart was racing. Bakura immediately felt guilty.

_Calm down, Hikari!_

_Where are you? Are you coming home?_ Ryou asked shakily, still a little jumpy. The link had opened so quickly the mental rush had scared him.

_Im coming home now._ Bakura stated, his calmness settling his Hikari a little.

_... Ok._ Ryou wasn't happy, but he accepted it. He could feel the damp in the air surrounding his Other, and it made him shiver. He could taste the frost on his tongue, and feel the wind snapping at his hair and making it whip about behind him.

_What were you doing?_

Silence.

It was amazing how they were so far apart yet so _close_ together.

* * *

As soon as Bakura got through the door, Ryou tackled him into a bear hug so they both fell over. He pressed his head into his Darks shoulder and didn't make a move to get off him.

"Ryou, It's only been about 13 hours."

"But you closed the link!"

"... Well, I was doing something private…"

Ryou lifted his head off his others chest and raised an eyebrow at him, making the man smirk.

"Private?" Ryou said suspiciously, patting Bakura's pockets. Nope, there wasn't any wallets.

"H-hey!"

"You're up to something."

"No Im not! Now let me up!" Bakura growled, suddenly remembering that he was being pinned by a mortal. A skinny one, at that.

"No. Not until you tell me." Ryou laughed, looking at his Darks chest intently. There was something there…

"…Yami… What is that?" He pointed to the extremely small object. Bakura craned his head to see what his Hikari was looking at. It was a hair; a grey one. It was accompanied by black and white ones as well.

"… Are these-"

Bakura suddenly sprang up and dived into the ring around Ryou's neck, locking himself in his soul room. Ryou just blinked at the strange reaction, and sat down to think.

_How odd…

* * *

_

When Ryou woke the next day, Bakura was gone, and so was 'Hello Mr.Cat'. The mind link was yet again closed.

_That's it._ Bakura stated, leaping out of bed to get dressed. _Im trailing him._ He got ready as fast as he could and sped out the door, straight to the park. There was nobody there, since it was still lightly drizzling, but Ryou could sense the rings power nearby, and his own ring led him to it.

He followed the points of the ring to a more 'un-kept' part of the park, where the ground was covered in litter and debris. Picking around it, he stopped when he got to a nearby alley.

_Hes here._ Ryou concluded, turning the corner into a dead end which was sheltered by some poor attempt at a roof, which was basically a sheet of metal.

His eyes went wide in surprise.

Bakura was sitting on the floor, surrounded by little bundles of black, grey and white fluff, book in one hand, cat under the other. The cat he was stroking was bigger than the others, as they were all kittens and that was obviously their mother.

They were all skinny, and were huddling up against the Dark happily, purring as he absently plucked at their soggy fur. His 'Hello Mr.Cat' book was slightly wet, but still readable.

He was _reading _to the _kittens._

Slowly, as Bakura began to acknowledge his Hikari, his reading slowed down, and then stopped. They looked at each other with wide eyes for a minute, before Ryou's expression softened so much Bakura thought he was going to melt.

"Bakura…"

Bakura jumped up (making sure the kittens were not harmed) and waved his hands around in front of him, making sure he wasn't going to hit the makeshift ceiling.

"This is not what it looks like, I swear!" He said quickly, looking slightly behind him. The kittens where gathering at his feet, mewling for his warmth again. Every time they cried, it felt like a dagger in his heart…

Ryou advanced on him, and pulled him gently down onto the floor so they could both sit. The kittens meowed happily and positioned themselves against the Light and Dark comfortably. They seemed to be happy.

The two sat in silence for a while, the only sounds being the rain bouncing off the roof and their synchronised breathing.

"So… this is where you were yesterday?" Ryou asked, watching as Bakura turned away.

"In Ancient Egypt, we used to worship cats. We had too. Even though I was a thief, that was one rule I would never go against. I couldn't leave them like this… She is so skinny…" He trailed off, eying the bigger one.

"Bastet. That's her name."

The cat's ears picked and she let out a long, high pitched meow as she cuddled closer to Bakura, who scratched her behind the ear.

"That ones Menat." He pointed to the all black one. "That ones Horus." He pointed to the grey one with white splotches. "That ones Sekhmet." He pointed to the incredibly fluffy all-grey one. "That ones Hathor." He pointed to a black one with a few white patches.

"And this one," He held up the smallest of them all, who was nearly all white except for one grey paw, "Is Ryou."

Ryou took the kitten gently and cradled it against his chest as it snuggled up to him. It was so _small_…

Ryou expression softened even more as he looked at his Yami. This was so unlike him… kittens? A few months ago, he would have murdered them on the spot, and now he is sneaking away from him to read books to starving little kittens in the rain?

"Im impressed." There was so much emotion in Ryous voice, Bakura felt like hiding.

"Why?"

"Look at how much you have changed."

"…" Bakura looked away again, as if ashamed of what he was doing. But it was true… what sort of heartless bastard wouldn't stop to help them? And for the whole reading thing…

Cats where intelligent- they understood him.

"You named them all… and you remember who they are. And you named one after me." He held up the small kitten, who was glancing around sleepily.

"Im… Im proud of you. Again." Ryou said, and petted 'Ryou' on the head. The kitten began to purr loudly, and licked the boy's hand. He suddenly stood up, Gathering a few kittens in his arms.

"What?" Bakura said, alarmed.

"Come on. We are taking them home." Ryou said, pulling his jacket over them. Bakura picked up the remaining two sadly, and looked longingly at 'Bastet'.

"We can't take her, Hikari. She lives here, and she wants to stay here." He petted Bastet on the head, and turned back to Ryou.

"Are you sure you want kittens running around your house?"

"_Our_ house. And they are kittens: I love them". He spun around and ran out in the rain, intent on getting home as fast as he can with 'Ryou', 'Horus' and 'Menat' swinging from his arms. Bakura raced after him with the other two, glancing back sadly as Bastet watched her kittens leave. She was glad they were going to a nice place, though.

_Don't worry._ Bakura smiled mentally, hoping the cat could somehow hear him. _They will be ok._

He blinked rapidly, and looked down at his furry little itch-hikers, who appeared to be sleeping.

_Damn it, Ryou's getting to me.

* * *

_

Inspired from when I was reading something out loud, and my cat was watching me. How are our two going to manage with all them cats? XD

Astarael's Get: Yay! Bakura plushie! –Huggles- OMG, I want a Ryou plushie too!!!!

An impressed reader, bluewolf8000, and MalikLove: Thank you for reviewing! –Gives you a kitten-

Lol, I like cats! XD I will update as soon as I can!

Whitewolfkisune xxx

PS: Lol, Bakura's gone soft! XD


	5. How to love

Learning to live:

How to Love.

The pair had discovered the differences in the kittens fairly quickly.

Menat was a loner, who liked to clean herself nearly every second. She slept a lot, too. She was the quietest of the group, and the calmest, and was always getting herself locked in cupboards and wardrobes. She seemed to love dark places where she could sleep in peace, and liked to hide in random places. It was almost like she was afraid of the sun. She was most active at night, where she would wake Ryou up by meowing for attention. If he didn't, she would bother her brothers and sister.

Horus and Hathor were partners in crime. They followed each other around the house and enjoyed scratching the carpet; and anything else that got in the way. Out of the two, Hathor was the mellower one and was the follower. Horus was the trouble-maker, who led on. Both of the boy's were extremely active, and liked to test there boundaries as to where they could go or what they could shred. Between them, they had both mutilated Ryou's telephone by chewing the cord for ages on end. They seemed to have an obsession with it…

Sekhmet was childish, and loved to play with everything within her reach. She could sometimes be found snoozing with Menat, which she loved, or playing with Kitten-Ryou, whom was like her little brother. If provoked, she also tended to scratch and hiss a lot. She was also extremely clingy towards Bakura, and would cry when he wasn't around or she wasn't with him. She followed him around the house in a snooty way and would often ignore everyone else when Bakura was around.

And last of all, was kitten-Ryou. He was often found with a dreamy look on his face as he wondered around the house, his curious eyes dancing. When his brothers or sisters where fighting, he tended to disappear for a little while so they could cool down. He also loved watching things fly past the window, and would jump when a bird or a large leaf sped by. He loved Sekhmet, and would always find time out of his schedule to play with her. Sometimes, Horus picked on him. But Hathor would always stop him, and lead his brother away from Kitten-Ryou. He silently thanked Hathor every time.

These kittens, along with our duo, formed the extremely cramped Bakura house-hold.

* * *

Ryou awoke to find Kitten-Ryou and Menat on his bed, Hathor sitting sleepily on a shelf, Horus beside him, and Sekhmet next to his Ring. She seemed to have a morbid fascination with it, and refused to leave it alone. Maybe she knew that Bakura was in there…

It was extremely early, as Ryou found that it was still dark outside. The alarm clock confirmed his suspicion; 4:30. Why did his body always wake up earlier than he did?

He mentally prodded his sleepy Yami, receiving a violent growl in response.

_What?!_ He hissed, shoving Ryou out of the mental-poking range.

_Its morning…_ Ryou shivered, feeling Bakura's anger ease.

_Oh._ Bakura emerged from the ring, causing Sekhmet to squeak excitedly and purr. Bakura smiled and scratched her behind the ear. She seemed to be his personal favourite.

"Good morning, Hikari." Bakura yawned, and made his way over to the fridge, Sekhmet following him. "You're up early."

"Good morning, Yami." Ryou yawned as well, placing Kitten-Ryou on the floor along with Menat so they didn't fall off the bed when he got up. Menat grumbled unhappily and went underneath the bed, while Kitten-Ryou just sat there, confused.

"Don't worry, little one." Ryou smiled, picking him up. "She's just grumpy because she's tired."

Kitten-Ryou mewled in understanding and climbed onto his shoulder.

"You know, that's what I used to call you." Bakura laughed, entering the room with two bowls of cat food. All the kittens suddenly rushed over to him and crowded his feet happily.

"Call me what?" Ryou asked, yawning.

"Little one." Bakura placed the cat food bowls on the floor and the kittens proceeded to eat happily. "I used to call you that all the time. But I cant now, can I?"

Ryou cocked his head in confusion at his attitude. "Huh?"

"Well, it just dawned on me how old you are..." Bakura stated, and trailed off.

Today… it was _that_ day. He could feel it. And that meant…

Sudden anger washed over him.

He turned around to the washing basket wish flashing eyes, mumbling under his breath. "Get dressed." He threw clothes at Ryou, who after a while of staring, finally proceeded to get dressed as his Yami attempted to get Horus to give him back his sock.

After Ryou was fully dressed (Bakura had been dressed for some time now) his Darkness appeared out of nowhere with a pen and notepad, and angrily thrust it in Ryou's direction.

"It's your sister's birthday today. Are you not going to write to her?" The Yami said almost spitefully.

Ryous eyes went wide in shock. How could he forget! It was Amane's birthday! He threw himself down on the bed and began to write furiously. He couldn't believe he had forgotten. It was so unlike him.

How did his Yami know it was her birthday, though…

Bakura could hear the pen scribbling against the paper at lightning speed; it was so fast, in fact, that Bakura thought he was going to rip the paper. After about ten minutes of continuous writing, the paper was hidden from Bakura's sight. His Hikari obviously didn't want him reading it.

"So… What have you got planned today?" The Dark murmured, narrowing his eyes. He _hated_ this day, and dreaded it every year.

Ryou blinked at the sudden rush of anger that was at the end of their link, and attempted to read his Yami's mind, but all of his mental defences were up.

"Yami?"

Bakura grit his teeth together and turned to face Ryou. He was going to destroy that letter quicker than he had ever destroyed one before. If Ryou ever found out about his sisters death, Bakura would personally slaughter whoever told him.

And what he couldn't believe was the fact his father didn't even visit him when it happened. Bakura had never even _seen_ Ryou's father! What sort of bastard stays away from their only living relative left for that long?!

Bakura forced a smile, and grabbed Ryou's wrist, making the boy flinch.

"Shhh, don't worry. Come on, were going out." Bakura yanked him to the door, but stopped briefly to talk to the kittens, who were lazing around the food bowls, having finished eating. Sekhmet was at his feet, meowing for attention almost instantly.

"Sekhmet, take care of the others. Don't play to rough with Ryou." He stroked her softly behind the ears, earning a soft mewl of happiness. All of the other kittens were looking at the dark with curious eyes.

"Menat, don't break into the cupboards anymore. And don't sleep on the bed- you'll get hair everywhere. Horus, I don't want to see that telephone cord any more chewed up than it already is. Ryou, don't fall asleep on the kitchen counter or touch the curtains. And Hathor, use the litter tray instead of the kitchen sink, ok? The tray is big enough for all of you."

They all mewed simultaneously, and went off to do their own thing. They were fine to leave by themselves, but not for too long.

"It's amazing how they listen to you." Ryou complimented, feeling the grip on his wrist tighten slightly.

"It's because Im a cat person."

Ryou didn't think that was the right answer, but knew better than to question his Yami in a time like this. He didn't understand why he was angry.

Or where he was taking him.

Bakura grabbed the keys off the side and ploughed out the door with Ryou being held by his wrist, making sure it was shut firmly or Sekhmet would try to find him.

"Where are we going?"

Bakura let go of Ryou and stood in front of him, a serious look on his face.

"Ryou, what wa- is your sister like?" Bakura started, keeping his mental barriers up. He didn't want Ryou reading his mind or sensing his feelings. It was a good thing too, since his emotions nearly made him slip up.

"Well, she's kind. She love's animals, and she liked to draw. She was an awesome artist, even though she was younger then me. But then dad sent her away…"

Bakura grit his teeth so hard he thought they were going to crack. God was going to pay for killing that girl and making his Hikari unhappy; he was going to personally see to it.

"…Ok. Come on." Bakura stated, and grabbed his wrist again. He pulled Ryou outside and continued to drag him until they reached the border of town, where he promptly let go.

They where at the edge of the beach, where the sun was rising steadily in the sky. It was still way too early for anyone to be out, and only the stray business man that occasionally walked by noticed them. They were lucky that they lived on the edge of the town, otherwise Bakura wouldn't have bothered bringing him there, since it was so far away.

"What is all this about, Yami?" Ryou asked, somewhat startled. Bakura grabbed his wrist again and dragged him over to the water, somewhat harshly. The Hikari was sure he was going to get a bruise on that particular spot.

"Why are we at the beach?"

"Because the beach is pretty at sunrise."

They stood for a while, staring out at the sea. The sun was casting highlights against the rolling waves and the sleepy seagulls were drifting hazily in the sky, searching for any breakfast. Ryou let his brown eyes travelled over too his Yami, who looked like he was deep in thought. His crimson eyes were clouded over with worry, and his stance looked like that of someone that was half awake.

Ryou turned his attention back to the sea. Bakura had asked what his sister was like. Why was he even interested anyway? He had acted so angry this morning… and now he just looked tired.

The mental walls were still up, and he couldn't break through them. He wouldn't even attempt to, as he knew that his Yami's mind was like a steel cage. It made him feel sad…

Then, it dawned on him what they were doing there.

"You brought me here because you wanted me to think." Ryou concluded. His Yami turned his head slightly to acknowledge him.

"You asked me that question to see if I remembered what she was like, even though I haven't seen her in a long time. And you want me to accept the fact I might never see her again…"

Bakura walked over to him slowly and ruffled his hair gently.

"Clever Hikari."

And for the second time that week, Bakura found himself sitting next to his Hikari on the floor. They sat a little way away from the water, so it wouldn't touch them, but close enough to see the grains of sand shifting underneath the waves.

"Are you sad for me?" Ryou asked, looking up. Bakura's eyes looked down at him, but he didn't move his head.

"I find it cruel that she never writes back when you write to her." Bakura said stiffly. Ryou felt him tense, so he leant his head on Bakura's shoulder.

"I know. But it doesn't matter, because I still care about her." He whispered. He felt Bakura's breath hitch slightly as he inhaled deeply.

"But… you might not ever see her again." He breathed back. "Will you be upset if you never see her again as long as you live?"

"I'll be happy as long as she is happy." Ryou replied; and he meant it. He would find Amane one day… but, for now, he had his Yami to care about.

"Wow, your so sentimental, little one." Bakura laughed, letting his eyes close slowly. "Im tired… what made you wake up at 4:30?"

"I don't know." Ryou yawned, leaning into him. Bakura was warm, and Ryou was tired, which meant the Yami was going to end up being used as a pillow.

"Oh no you don't." Bakura stated, and pulled Ryou up. He then grabbed the boys legs and glued them to his thighs, so the boy had to wrap his arms around the Yami's neck to avoid falling off.

"What?"

"Im not having you fall asleep here. I would rather carry you home, piggyback style." Bakura growled, storming off in the direction of the house. Ryou sighed happily and yet again used his Yami as a pillow.

"I'll find her, one day." Ryou yawned, closing his eyes. Bakura smiled slightly as he felt his Hikari's consciousness slipping.

"Im sure you will."

* * *

That night, well, day, when Ryou was asleep, Bakura looked at the letter his Hikari had written. It hadn't been that hard to locate.

_Dear Sister,_

_Happy Birthday! I hope you're having fun, wherever you are! Im sorry, but this is going to probably arrive late. Don't worry though; it's just me being forgetful. _

_Even though he doesn't say it out loud, Im sure Bakura sends his love. You and him will get along fine; he's loves cats. In fact, we rescued five. FIVE kittens! There's Menat, Horus, Hathor, Sekhmet and Ryou (yes, we have a kitten named after me). Sekhmet is Bakura's personal pet, and follows him everywhere. It's rather cute!_

_Has Dad spoke to you recently? I haven't heard from him in a while. I hope he's doing well on his trip. Maybe one day we can all meet up and go somewhere (doesn't matter where)!_

_Anyhow, schools fine. Got a good mark in history, due to Bakura's knowledge on Egypt. Yugi and the gang showed me the new cards that Yugi's grandfather had got recently- they looked awesome. Maybe if I save up, I can buy some…_

_Don't know what to give you for your birthday sentimental enough to fit in this envelope, but how about my love? Will that do?_

_I love you lots. Xxx_

_Ryou, aka your older brother._

Bakura stared at the paper for a long, hard time before returning it. Maybe it didn't matter that his sister was dead, because he still loved her…

He looked down at his feet, to see Sekhmet staring up at him with her bright, amber eyes. Scooping down, he picked her up and held her up to his eye level.

"I love you." He said to the kitten, receiving purring in response. "don't ever leave me."

"Good, because if you didn't love me back," Bakura smiled, cradling her to his chest. "You wouldn't be my favourite kitten anymore."

* * *

Lol, I assume there is a beach in domino… consider it AU. XD

Reviews!

bluewolf8000: Omg! I am so blushing right now! –Hugs you- You're nice! Thank you!!!

Mrs.G.F.Handel: Lol, Bakura would kill you if you took away one of his kittys:D

  
Astarael's Get: Yay! Kitty-Ryou:3 The kittens are a handful to write, since there are so many… o.O

InkedButterfly: Thank you :D

Yup, there is a lot of fluff in there. If your confused (lol!), Bakura knows Ryou's sister is dead, but Ryou doesn't. Im so cruel…

Review for more fluff!

Ps: Sekhmet is spoilt…


	6. How to Let Go

Learning to Live:

How to let go.

It was morning, just after breakfast, and Ryou had had enough.

"Bakura, when I wake up in the morning, I see kittens. When I go to sleep, I see kittens. In the day, there are kittens. At breakfast; kittens. At dinner; kittens. At lunch; kittens. My bed; kittens. Shelves; kittens. Toilet; kittens. Cupboards; kittens. Im sorry, Bakura. We are going to have to get rid of the kittens."

Ryou was sick of finding hair over his usually clean apartment. The kittens were everywhere, and even though he didn't want to leave them, he had no choice. They were literally eating away his income, and since he didn't work, he had to rely on the money his father had left him: and that was not a lot.

Bakura however was howling in desperation. His kittens where his pride and joy, and to get rid of them (he felt) was to literally tear up his soul. How could someone want to get rid of one of the most sacred animals in Egypt?!

"No!" He cried, all of the kittens in his arms. "You can't take them away from me!"

"Well, we can't keep them here!" Ryou yelled back, much against his personality. "It's disturbing to have this many cats!"

Bakura softly placed all of the kittens onto the bed and stormed up to him, red eyes flashing.

"Where else will they go-"

"I don't know! But we can't-"

"Yes we can! They deserve-"

"We both live here, and it's a joint-"

"Yes, but anyone would agree-"

"No! I want them to stay too, but-"

"This is just cruel-"

"Why can't you think of anyone else but your-"

Ryou was silenced when a fist slammed into his face, sending him sprawling to the floor. The whole event kind of reminded him of the bullying incident, and it made him want to curl up and hide.

Bakura, meanwhile, was fuming. How _dare_ his Hikari say that he doesn't think of anyone else, when he had been looking after the ungrateful brat for ages! He cast his eyes down to the shivering boy on the floor, who wasn't meeting his eyes and was instead hiding his head underneath his arms, to protect him from anymore harm.

"I-Im s-s-orry B-Bakura I wont –a-argue a-a-any more!" Ryou squeaked as he felt Bakura kneel down next to him. He felt hands wrapped around his wrists and he felt himself being lifted, where he was pulled into a gruff hug.

"Im sorry." Bakura said softly, anger still lingering in his voice. "I get mad to easily. If we are going to get rid of the kittens, can I at least keep Sekhmet?"

Bakura felt Ryou nod lightly, and hugged him harder. He really shouldn't have hit him like that, because now Ryou was going to spend the day in fear.

Pushing the boy away (more harshly then he would have liked) he randomly scooped up Menat and opened the front door, beckoning the Hikari to grab the keys. Ryou obeyed, and allowed him self to be pulled out the door by his wrist again by his darkness. They closed the door and sped towards a certain shop that contained a certain Yami and his easily swayed Hikari.

Bakura rang the bell to the game shop over and over again until they answered. Eventually, the door was opened slowly by a small, puppy-dog eyed boy with tri colored hair. He was wearing blue, starred pyjamas and looked like he had just got out of bed. As soon as he saw Bakura, he squeaked and slammed the door shut.

"Humph!" Bakura huffed, stamping his foot. "Open up, shorty!" He yet again banged on the door with his free hand (since Menat occupied the other) loudly, causing Ryou to jump each time.

This time, Yami Yugi/ Atem opened the door.

"Ryou." He bowed politely and pulled him in. He closed the door on the tomb robber as he tried to enter.

_Hikari! Tell him to open the door!_ Bakura growled through the mind link, banging on the door again.

Ryou turned slightly to find Yami and Yugi starring at him, like they expected him to talk or something. As soon as he opened his mouth, Atem's eyes grew slightly narrower, giving him the answer to the un-asked question.

_He wants you to stay outside._ Ryou said softly, hearing Bakura mumbling to himself.

"Im sorry, Yami. He dragged me here." Ryou bowed to him, breaking eye contact. "I know you don't like him."

"Don't bow, Ryou." Atem said, beckoning him upwards. Ryou obeyed. "But Ryou, I am glad you came here. Now, may I ask where you got that mark on your face?"

Damn Pharaoh. To observant.

"D-don't you remember? Bullies got me-"

"That mark was near the centre of your face. This one is one your cheek." Yami stated firmly. Yugi had yet to say anything, but knew where this was leading.

"W-w-well y-you k-know-"

"No lying, Ryou."

"Y-yes, Y-Yami."

Yami just starred at him, anger burning in the dept's of his eyes. Bakura had done it once, and he should have known he would do it again. Could he cause that boy anymore pain then he already had?

Ryou bit his lip and looked away. Atem could be intimidating when he wanted to be, even if he was clad in pyjamas. He refused to speak about it to anyone, as he believed it was his and Bakura's business, and no-one else's. He had been hit because he had been rude, and that was just discipline.

Had all the other times been discipline too? Had all of the torment, the marks on his body, the bruises, the cuts, and the scars been discipline? It didn't really matter, because that was all in the past now. But, still, he couldn't help but wonder when his Yami would next loose his temper, and take it out on him like he used too-

He was thrown off his train of thoughts by two hands that were shaking him roughly on the shoulders.

"Huh?"

"You spaced out for a second." Yami said softly, trying not to startle him to much by his sudden appearance.

"Oh, I-Im sorry. I do that a lot." Ryou whispered, trying to get Atem to stop worrying about him. "The reason I was dragged here was Bakura wanted to give you something…"

"What was it?" Yugi suddenly spoke up, looking curious.

"Well, we have some kittens, you see-"

"Yami! I want one!" Yugi squealed, and leapt over to his darkness. There was no way Yami could resist the puppy eyes.

No way in hell.

"Go ask grandpa." Atem sighed, as Yugi scurried away happily to go and wake up the man in question. However, as soon as he had left the room, Yami had rounded on Ryou.

"He did that, didn't he?" Yami hissed angrily, changing his mood so quickly Ryou flinched. He wasn't so good with dealing with angry people.

The Hikari didn't even need to answer, because the answer was written all over his face.

"Ryou, everyone has a purpose in life, and yours wasn't to be an outlet of anger for Bakura." Yami continued, taking his voice down a notch. "I know It's not your fault, so don't blame yourself. It's his fault. And if I see one more mark on you caused by him, I will personally see to it that he doesn't live to see another day."

Ryou had seen Atem angry before, but never like this. It was probably because Yami thought he needed love and care, since he wasn't getting any at home. It was a good thing, really, because it meant that Ryou knew there were other people out there looking out for him.

"No, Yami, it's not like that." Ryou said quietly, meeting the Yami's eyes. "He doesn't do that any more. This was a one off. You should see him now: he sticks up for me in fights, helps me with homework, and even has this weird obsession with one of our kittens… he's a completely different person, with a completely different agenda in the world."

"Is it a good agenda? And how can you really be sure that he won't hurt you again?"

"He sometimes watches over me when I sleep instead of killing me, he protects me from people, and he even hugs me. If he wanted to hurt me again, I would not be standing here now."

"You certainly have become mature."

"Funny, he said the exact same thing to me."

Ryou and Yami smiled together, and suddenly jumped when Yugi came speeding down the stairs.

"I can have a kitten!" Yugi beamed, jumping up and down on the spot. "I can't wait!"

"What did grandpa really say?"

"'Get the hell out of the bedroom Im trying to sleep!' But I say that's a yes!" Yugi grinned. He had always had a soft-spot for cats.

"Hmm… If grandpa says you can…" Yami trailed off, looking at Ryou. "Do we have to let him in?"

Ryou nodded 'affirmative', making Yami groan. He stalked over to the front door and opened it slightly, expecting Bakura to burst in. He didn't.

When Yami finally found him, he nearly fell over in shock.

He was across the street, swinging Menat playfully by her arms and talking to her, earning him weird looks from passers by. When he noticed Yami staring, he dropped the kitten into his arms roughly and walked briskly over to the door, shoving the paralysed Pharaoh out of the way.

"Yugi." He said gruffly, holding out Menat. "This is Menat. She likes sleeping, so buy her a basket or she will get hair on your bed. She also likes the color green, playing ball, hiding in dark places and she likes to wake up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. If you don't let her sleep all day long and play with her, she will not wake you up and will sleep through the night. Got that?"

Yugi nodded dumbly as Menat was shoved into his arms.

"Menat, Ryou, Yugi." He bowed slightly, and yet again pushed past Atem, who looked like a fish out of water.

Ryou watched him go out of the door with confusion. He then turned his attention to Yugi, who was also stunned but was playing with Menat in his arms.

"Menat… she has a nice name…" Yugi smiled anxiously, not really knowing what to do when the psychotic spirit had given her to him. "Where did you get that from?"

"I didn't name them. He found them, and named them all."

Yami shuffled over to look at the kitten, a look of longing on his face.

"Cats are sacred beings. No wonder he likes them." Atem mused, adding a laugh at the end. "Your right, Ryou. He has changed. It was a bit weird how he just walked out like that and didn't even say goodbye to me. Anyone would say he hated me."

Ryou tried not to laugh at the way he said it, but it was too funny.

"The cats are his children," He beamed. "But they are too much to handle."

* * *

"Bakura, that was a nice thing you did. Yugi loves Menat!" Ryou said happily, noting his Yamis grumpy mood.

"Well, he better take care of her or I will break his legs."

Ryou's eyes widened in the seriousness of the statement, but shrugged it off. They were back home, and now there were only four kittens to greet them.

"We need to find Horus and Hathor a home together, or they will get lonely." Ryou said softly, playing with the kittens in question.

"What about Kitten-Ryou?" Bakura asked, petting Sekhmet. Kitten-Ryou was sitting on Ryou's bed, looking lost as the duvet tried to swallow him. Ryou stood up and picked up the little thing, noting its terrified look.

"Well, if we get rid of him, Sekhmet will get lonely…"

"You don't want to get rid of him, do you?" Bakura laughed, eying the scrawny cat.

"Well, he reminds me of me…"

"And I suppose Sekhmet is supposed to be me?!" Bakura huffed, making the cat hiss as well. Ryou sweat dropped, but he secretly thought his Yami and the cat were alike.

"Um…. Hey, do you know who will take Hathor and Horus?" The Hikari changed the subject to avoid a lecture.

"As a matter of fact," Bakura smirked, eyes sparkling. "I know the perfect people to have them."

"Who?"

"Its time to meet the Ishtars."

* * *

Lol, Yami and Yugi get a kitten!!

Reviews!!!

Astarael's Get: Yay! - Cuddles Sekhmet- Lol, Im sure he will protect Ryou… -Shifty eyes-

Mrs.G.F.Handel: Lol, I love the kitty's too! Bakura's a crazy can man!!!

bookworm3213: I know, I feel sorry for Ryou an Amane! But, the kittnes make everyone happy:3

bluewolf8000: Lol, I read too much of that too! ;D Don't cry! Im sure it will all be ok in the End:D

Yami Revea: YAY! I have so many plushies now! I love them all:D

InkedButterfly: Hug away, my friend. -Hugs Bakura- -Gets beaten up- Ok… that didn't go so well…

Hakurei Ryuu: Do they have a harbour? I missed that, lol! Thank you for telling me! -Hugs-

Peach Wookiee: Thank you! I like cute:D

You all deserve cookies:D Malik and Marik will appear next!!! XD

Review if you don't want Sekhmet to attack… She's evil… 

Ps: The kittens are based on certain characters (as was hinted in this chapter)! Lol, its obvious who is who… XD


	7. How to protect

Warning: Marik is in this chapter, so there is bound to be swearing.

Learning to live:

How to protect.

"But Bakura, I don't like Marik!" Ryou cried, trying to pull his Yami back by the arm.

"Don't worry, Hikari." Bakura reassured him. "Marik doesn't bite."

The two were on route to Marik's and Malik's house on the outskirt's of domino city, where there were few houses, but the ones that were there were expensive. Bakura was sure they would need cats around the house, because they had a mice problem as their house was big and hard to keep track of. The two didn't have a job, but they always had there sister to rely on. However, she was over in Egypt, and wasn't there to manage them.

Hathor and Horus, the trouble making kittens, would have fun in their house instead of ruining Bakura's and Ryou's. Ryou was worried about meeting Marik, though, as the man scared him slightly.

"Hikari, stop worrying!" Bakura snorted, trying to keep a firm hold of the struggling Horus. Ryou had Hathor.

"But he doesn't like me!"

"Ryou, If he even try's to harm you in any way, I will slit his throat and make him wish he was never spawned. Ok?"

Ryou chose to remain silent.

As they approached the front door, Bakura braced himself for whatever was behind the door and rang the bell.

Unlucky for them, Marik opened the door.

"Oh, we have two freaks at our door." Marik drawled as Malik appeared. Malik bowed in welcome and pushed his Yami aside to get a better look at them. As soon as he saw the kittens, his eyes went as wide as saucers.

"Marik! Marik-"

"No."

"Can we-"

"No."

"But-"

"_No." _Marik had had this before. As soon as Malik saw something he liked, he would beg and plead him until he got it for him.

"You don't have a choice, Bastard." Bakura hissed, throwing the kitten at him, which he caught on reflex. Horus hissed and attempted to scratch him.

Ryou, on the other hand, handed Hathor gently to Malik, whose eyes were sparkling.

"We didn't have anyone else to give them too." Ryou said timidly, looking down at his feet.

"It's ok. We will have them." Malik answered softly, tickling the patch of soft fur behind Hathor's ear. He purred loudly.

Meanwhile, Bakura and Marik where arguing.

"You fucking parasite, I don't want your cat!"

"Bastard! It has no where else to go!"

"I can shove it down your throat, if you want!"

"You can try, but your head will be off your shoulders before you even move!"

"Are you threatening me?"

"Nah, Im just congratulating you for being the world's biggest prick."

"Why you-" Marik was about to make a move, when Malik stopped him. His eyes were big and round, his purple irises sparkling brightly. It seemed like the puppy dog eyes were something that all Hikari's did to their Yami's when they wanted something.

"Malik-"

"Marik, _please_?" He cocked his head to the side and blinked sadly, looking like he was going to cry.

Marik held Horus up to his face, where the little cat still had his ears pressed against his head. It kind of reminded him of himself, in some sort of confusing, twisted way…

"Fine." Marik huffed, earning a hug from Malik. "But this one is mine." And with that, he disappeared inside. Malik smiled happily and cradled his kitten to his chest.

"Would you like to come in?" He asked, stepping aside. Ryou bowed politely and entered, but Bakura remained outside until Malik pulled him in.

"What's up with you?" Bakura asked, noticing how the mischievous look he used to hold in his eyes had disappeared.

"I've turned over a new leaf." The blonde boy said simply, sitting beside Ryou on his Egyptian themed sofa.

"So, what does he like?" He asked, letting Hathor sit on his lap.

"Well, Hathor likes to follow Horus around. They get into a lot of trouble together, so you might have to watch him closely. Horus is slightly vicious. Hes the one you need to mostly watch."

"Noted. Im dreading what my Yami is doing to that poor cat right now…"

They all looked at each-other, each one of them imagining Marik torturing the kitten. Bakura almost squeaked at the thought of Marik hurting one of his babies.

"Don't worry, though!" Malik said quickly, smiling nervously at the looks they were wearing. "He has a heart. Not a big one, but its still there."

Bakura scoffed at the statement and turned away. There was no way in hell that Marik had a heart. He was a cruel, sadistic bastard who liked to control people and cause them pain.

"Im back."

And speaking of the devil…

Ryou gasped. Bakura scowled. Malik just blinked in surprise.

Horus, who was at Marik's feet, was wearing a spiked collar make of leather with silver studs. Around his front right paw, there was another black, leather bangle with studs in a neat pattern around the middle.

And was that _eyeliner?!_

"What… What…" Bakura was lost for words. His baby had been transformed into a gothic kitten by a psycho freak with bad taste in jewellery.

"…Interesting…" Ryou breathed.

"He reminds me of you, Yami." Malik said carefully. Marik grinned evilly and walked over to him, Horus following him obediently.

"That's exactly what I thought." Marik cast a sly glance in Bakura's expression, and watched as his crimson eyes danced like they were on fire. "I think _my_ kitten is actually going to _enjoy_ his time here."

Bakura gritted his teeth together and held himself back.

Was he saying that he didn't look after the cat?!

He could literally feel his blood pressure rising every second he stayed in the room with that man.

"Ryou, come." He ordered, getting up. "Im leaving." He spun round to the direction of the door, earning a confused look from Malik.

"What's up with him?" Malik asked as Bakura left, leaving Ryou alone.

"He really does care for these cats, and I don't think he likes the fact that Marik has dressed Horus up and has basically said that Horus likes him more." Ryou explained. Malik looked down at his own kitten who was plucking at his trousers absentmindedly.

"Im sorry."

"Don't be. He will get over it. After all, he was the one who suggested you two."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I guess you two match Hathor and Horus perfectly." The two watched as Marik was leading Horus around in circles and trying to get him to attack random things.

"Bakura has a heart, too." Ryou smiled gently, his eyes sparkling like Malik's.

"Yes." Malik laughed. "I guess he does."

* * *

"Bakura, don't sulk." Ryou sighed as he sat on his beg, Bakura beside him.

"Look at the way he dressed Horus up like that! I didn't look after him for him to become a slut!" Bakura hissed, balling his hands into fists. "If I would have stayed in there any longer, I would have killed him."

"Don't over react."

"Don't underestimate me." Bakura growled, a dangerous look in his eyes. He stroked Sekhmet roughly, causing her to meow in distress. "I mean, doesn't he respect anything? Ra would have his soul-"

"Bakura, you're stroking her too hard!" Ryou yelled, snatching Sekhmet away from him, who was crying. Bakura blinked in alarm and turned away from him.

"Hnn." He disappeared inside the ring suddenly, making Ryou jump. He probably felt bad for hurting Sekhmet.

Ryou spared her a sympathetic glance as she huddled against him, confused.

"He didn't mean it." He said to her. "He didn't."

* * *

That night, when Ryou was asleep, Bakura emerged from the ring and sat himself down at the desk, twirling a pen in his fingers. His built-in-Ryou-radar told him his Hikari was ok, but he felt like he needed air for some strange reason.

Ryou-kitten jumped onto the desk randomly at sat neatly in front of him, his little round paws tucked under his chest and his eyes gleaming in the darkness.

"I feel weird, Kitten-Ryou." He said to him, stroking his ear. "I don't know how I feel. I know I really hate Marik, I know im neutral to Malik and I know I miss my kittens, but something else is missing."

Ryou kitten licked his hand with a small, wet tongue.

"I don't know what it is, though. And today, Sekhmet got mad at me because I hurt her. I would never hurt my kitten on purpose!" Bakura nearly yelled, but remembered Ryou sleeping behind him.

Ryou-kitten stood up and leapt off the desk and jumped onto Ryou's slowly moving chest, rising and falling with each breath.

"You want me to talk to him?" He kneeled by the bed, just in time to see the kitten meow silently. The kitten then walked over Ryou to sit over his heart.

"What?" Bakura was puzzled, but the kitten just meowed and started gently kneading the area, claws tucked away.

"His heart? What about it?"

The kitten just meowed.

"You want me too…" Bakura trailed off and cocked his head slightly.

The kitten meowed again.

"You want me to heart him? You want me to stab him in the heart? You want me to tear his heart out?" Bakura was just guessing, because he wouldn't do something like that.

"You want me to… Red him… umm… blood him… love him?"

The kitten purred.

"Oh! I understand! I've been paying to much attention to Sekhmet and the rest of you, and ignoring Ryou when I should be protecting him!" Bakura said in a quiet rush. "That's what I've been missing… Ryou… because you can't really love a kitten like you love a human…" He trailed off in order to pet the kitten.

"But, you do realise, Im not gay. So I'll stick to the brotherly love."

Ryou-kitten appeared to be smiling to himself.

"I'll promise to look after him if you look after Sekhmet." Bakura whispered, relieving Ryou of his furry package.

Ryou-kitten just meowed.

* * *

Awww… Marik is an asshole. XD

Cori Rain: Marik needs to die! MMMMWWWAAAAWW!!!

Mrs.G.F.Handel: Yami in pyjamas is hot…. :D Lol, Bakura's more than crazy, he's Psycho!

Yami Revea: Yami in pyjamas is popular! Maybe him and Bakura should have a sleepover!

Bookworm3213: Lol, Atemu! Don't worry, hes going to appear a lot!

Astarael's Get: Bakura needs anger management! OMFG YUGI PLUSHIE!!!! –Cuddles-

InkedButterfly: -Is still getting beaten up by Bakura-

Peach Wookiee: Hes a crazy cat lady bent on world domination by cats! MMWWWAAWAWAHAHAH!!!

Thank you, Reviewers! This chapter was hard to write… Poor Horus…

Review if you don't want Yami Marik to dress you up in bondage… but I want him too… XD


	8. How to Give

Learning to live:

How to Give.

Bakura was always told; "If you like it, you can take it, because it is yours."

So naturally, he used this as an excuse to steal.

"No, Bakura, It doesn't work that way."

That had been the response when Bakura had told Ryou that. He didn't expect the Light to understand him anyway, since the thief had come from a bad past and had lived through a life where you had to steal to survive.

And Knives were necessary to survive, weren't they?

He sat in his soul room, a curved blade in his hand. It had a crimson dragon on the hilt, its mouth open in a snarl as black flames ringed around the bottom of the actual blade. In its claws it held sapphires, and its color stood apart from the gold base, making it look like it was rising from its surface. It was beautiful: one of his favourites.

Once, Ryou had tried to take it off of him.

The result: Ryou will be scarred forever.

It almost disgusted him to think he would hurt his Hikari now, even if it wasn't that long ago that the incident happened. In fact, if he looked closely, he could still see Ryou's blood tainting the edge of the blade.

He resisted the urge to lick it off.

There was _no way_ he was going back to what he was.

* * *

His Hikari was pulling him along by the wrist lightly, being careful not to yank his arm off. His hands were soft and his pace was slow but steady, jumping in and out of people that were more than happy to push him out of the way. 

"Ryou, these people are really rude." Bakura stated loudly, causing passer-bys to glare at him. Ryou blushed lightly and pulled him closer.

"Shhh, Yami! They aren't being rude, they are just late, and want to get to work on time." Ryou whispered as Bakura snorted like an angry horse.

"They still don't have a right to push us." Bakura continued to let himself be pulled along again, but decided that if anyone pushed him or Ryou again, he would push back.

And so that trip resulted in a lot of pushing.

When they finally reached there destination, Ryou was out of breath due to running away from all of the angry people his Dark had pushed over. Bakura looked like he was pleased with his dirty work.

"Hikari! Did you see how many people I pushed over?" The man laughed, patting Ryou rather heavily on the back.

"Yes, I did." Ryou's chocolate colored eyes where swimming with concern for Bakura's mentality.

"You stole their stuff, didn't you?"

"Why, Hikari, would you accuse me of that?" Bakura's eyes went wide as he looked down at the Light innocently.

"Because when you came out today, you wasn't wearing a necklace, or a ring, and you didn't have five wallets." Ryou said smartly. Bakura dropped his act and decided to pout instead.

"Well observed."

Ryou narrowed his eyes (he tried to make himself look threatening, but his eyes were still bigger than most peoples) and folded his arms across his chest, puffing himself out slightly.

"That was mean, Yami!" He protested, staring Bakura straight in the eyes.

"I know, I know. But they were pushing us, and it was sooooo easy…" Bakura was almost drooling, but refrained from doing so in public.

"But they didn't deserve to loose their money!" Ryou looked generally upset with him, so he decided to step down from the situation.

"Well, I can't give it back to them now!" Bakura said, pointing out the obvious. "What do you want me to do? We could use that money!"

"For what!?"

"… Isn't it Christmas soon?"

"… It is…"

Ryou looked like he was mulling something over, and then gave Bakura a strange look that said "I know what you're thinking". The man in question nodded his head rhythmically and grinned.

"And we both don't have jobs." He stated, making Ryou flinch.

It was true.

At such a crucial time of the year, Ryou was struggling to pay for heating and such, and he could keep using his Yami as a blanket because Bakura liked to sleep in the ring sometimes, and that meant he was not a reliable source of heat.

The money his father had left him was plentiful, but how long was it really going to last?

"Well, may-"

"We don't have time for jobs _and_ school." Bakura snorted, making Ryous hopes fall. He _really_ didn't want to have to resort on stealing to survive, but it seemed-

"I know what you can do!"

"… What?"

"Give to money to charity!"

"………………."

"……….What?"

"Hahaha! You're funny, Hikari. It's a pity you joke at the most inconvenient times."

"………………"

"….Your not joking, are you?"

Ryou gave him a stern look and folded his arms again.

"What's wrong with giving to the less fortunate?!"

Bakura almost squeaked (but he didn't, because Bakura never squeaked) at the look, but mimicked the Hikaris actions and folded his arms as well.

"And why should I give them anything?" He sniffed.

"Because if you don't, Im going to trap you in the Puzzle with Yami." Ryou said simply.

"You don't have the power to do that!" Bakura hissed, alarmed. "You can't!"

Ryou's eyes flashed dangerously.

"I can, and I will."

* * *

"Hey, mister! Why is your hair all white?" 

"Because it is. Now, piss off."

"Ummm, you swore!"

"That I did, and I will do it again."

"But, mister-"

A vein visibly twitched in Bakura's neck as he pushed the little boy aside and stomped about the corridor, waiting for Ryou to reappear. He was currently donating (To Bakura's horror) the money to the head of an orphanage that was in need of some DIY.

The kids had seen Bakura, who had no where else to go, as some sort of distraction, and had taken a shine to him no matter how many times he threatened to send them to the shadow realm.

"Hello, Sir!" One little girl asked, walking past him. She looked about five years old, and had cute little pig-tails swinging from her head. In her hand was a plain bag, filled with what looked like school supplies.

"Yeah, whatever." He grunted dismissively. "Before you ask, yes, my hair is naturally this color. Yes, I have got a twin brother. Yes, I am tall. Yes, I have pointy teeth. No, I am not a vampire. Or a werewolf. And finally, yes, I do swear lot, so don't be surprised if I do."

"What are you getting from Santa?" She asked, ignoring his rant.

"Nothing. I have all I want right here." He jerked his thumb arrogantly at himself and grinned broadly.

"Don't you have a mommy? Or a daddy?"

Bakura tried to blink away the weird feeling he was suddenly getting in his chest.

"No. They died." He stated bluntly.

"Oh…" The little girl looked sad, and her sparkling eyes dulled in color. "So did mine."

The feeling (Pity?) welled up even more, and Bakura was starting to feel uncomfortable talking to her. He just wanted to run and hide away from her, and hopefully forget the conversation.

"So… I guess we are both orphans." He sighed, crouching down to her height. "What's your name?"

"Elysia."

"Don't worry, Elysia. Someone is going to take you home soon." Bakura smiled as she visibly brightened and smiled as well. "They always do." Before he knew it, she was hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, Sir!" She said, voice muffled as she spoke into his chest. "I hope you get adopted too!"

"Don't worry," He laughed, "I've already been adopted."

"By who?"

"An annoying look-a-like who likes to torment me. He forces me to take care of him and then threatens me, and he also seems to find it funny to make me run around and help him with his problems." He stuck out his tongue as she pulled away with a shocked look on her face.

"He must be terrible!" She exclaimed.

"Yes, he is. But he is still family." As he finished, Ryou walked out of the office and stopped in mid stride as he saw Bakura talking to a little girl.

"Bakura, stop tormenting children." Ryou said, pulling him to his feet against his will. He then turned his attention to the girl.

"Im sorry if he said anything mean."

"You must be the annoying look-a-like that likes to torment Sir!" She said in a rush, running to Bakura's side. It took a moment to register the words, but when he did, Ryou gritted his teeth together so loudly that Bakura could hear it.

"I. Am. What?" The Hikari said, forcibly calm, fists clenched at his sides. Both the little girl and the Yami were trembling.

"Ummmm…. Whoops." Bakura sweat-dropped, and grinned nervously. "I didn't mean it!"

"That's it! In the puzzle you go!"

"NOOOOOO!"

The little girl watched as Sir and the look-a-like man ran away, one chasing the other. She was happy that Sir had family (even if he was scary), and hoped that one day, she would too.

* * *

_I knew you couldn't put me into the puzzle._ Bakura pouted, playing with his dragon knife again. Ryou refused to go near him when he had it in his reach, and so stayed outside physically while Bakura sat in his soul room. 

_I'll find out how to one day._ Echoed the reply, bouncing off the walls from nowhere.

_Sureeee._ Bakura rolled his eyes and ran his fingers up the blunt side of the knife. He was feeling distinctly poor since Ryou had thrown away his money.

_If you say it like that, it's bound to sound bad._ Ryou's voice sounded cheerful, even though he was actually doing chores.

_You did, though._

Ryou mentally rolled his eyes and sighed.

_Hey, I heard that._ Bakura answered, making Ryou sigh again.

_Hey, what did you say (besides making fun of me) to that little girl at the orphanage?_

Bakura looked up at the ceiling of the room, talking to it like it was Ryou.

_We were just talking about Christmas._ He lied, biting his tongue. He felt Ryou's curiosity increase tenfold at the answer. It quickly disappeared though, and was replaced by amusement. _She came up to me._

_Well, you know, you are pretty scary._ Ryou laughed, making Bakura pout. _I mean, you're tall and really pale, and you have such pointy teeth! It's a wonder they even approached you. Plus, you have these really spindly fingers that look really creepy-_

_Where is this going?!_ Bakura hissed, pointing his knife at the ceiling. _Have you got anything else to say?!_

_Yes. You sound like something has crawled down your throat and died there._

_Harsh words, Light. Am I right in guessing that you are getting me back for earlier toady? _Bakura growled, crossing his arms. _You're so mean. After all I have done for you, and this is how you repay me?!_

He heard Ryou chuckle softly to himself.

_And you should know by now; anything that crawls down my throat is already dead._ Bakura retorted.

_Sure, Bakura, sure._ Ryou giggled. _You know you sound weird. Like a mad pervert or something._

_That's it. _Bakura hissed again, like an angry cat. _Im going to trap you in the puzzle.

* * *

_

Sorry, but Bakura does sound weird. However, his voice is incredibly sexy…

Reviews!

Cori rain: -Hugs him too- :3

Mrs.G.F.Handel: My sister would dress him up in bows and shoes… o.O

InkedButterfly: Don't worry, we all like Yami Marik! ;D

Astarael's Get: YAY MALIK!!!! -Cuddles until his head falls off- You cant run out of plushies!! There my life!!! -Huggles plushies collection- Bakura is only a little bit slow…

Bakura: Hey… wait a minute… where is Ryou-kitten? -Starts searching-

See what I mean… o.O;;

Yami Revea: -Punches Marik in the face- Say sorry!

Marik: … make me.

-Gets out whip- This is going to be a loooooong night for you, my sexy friend. :D

Thank you guys!! -Pokes Bakura- lol, children like him!

Review, or Bakura wont love you! And you don't want that, do you…

Bakura: I don't love them any- -Is shot- 

PS: Merry christmas, everyone!


	9. How to be gay

Learning to live:

How to be gay. (Rating a bit higher for this one… o.O)

"Hey, I went all out for her man."

"That's great! I bet she was awesome, dude!!"

"You bet. She took it like a bitch, too!"

Ryou was slightly unnerved by the discussion his classmates were having, and tried to shy away as quickly as he could. How old were these people?! 15? 16?! Luckily for him, Bakura was at home today… because if he was caught sitting near these guys whilst they were talking like that, he would have been skinned alive.

He didn't really know them, but they currently had maths with him, and had decided to involve him for no particular reason. Maybe they wanted to copy his work? After all, he had all the correct answers… The teacher wasn't even watching the class. He was looking out the window.

"Hey, Ryou! Have you ever seen this lesbian porn stuff online?" One of the boys beamed, holding up a picture. It was of a girl pinning another girl to a wall, both of them naked, one running her tongue around the others nipple whilst the other fingered the first girls vir-

"Oh, oh my!!" Ryou turned around to hide his blush and went to walk away, but one of them put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, hey, don't run away! Its fucking sexy!" The guy laughed, trying to shove it Ryou's face.

"Please, don't!" He squealed, making the boy raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"Why not? If you were a man, then you would like this stuff!" Another boy said, smirking in a perverted way.

"Yeah, all the Rape and stuff…heheh, dumb bitches." The boy snickered and held the picture up to his face to examine it closer. "Little virgin Ryoouuu, cant handle a little hot stuff?"

"Stop picking on m-me!" He sniffed, trying to escape again. However, the three surrounded him in a circle so he couldn't get out.

"Better what yourself, Ryyyy. People like you could get raped sooo easily."

Ryou was sure he could feel his heart stop in his chest. Rape? Him? What? Where?

"Yeah…" The first boy purred, patting his hair. "One move, and them BAM! Your being fucked like there is no tomorrow!"

"You guys…" Ryou was close to having tears in his eyes. "You guys are monsters!!" The three boys all laughed, and were going to retort to that comment, but the white haired boy got lucky as the bell rang. He pushed past them, his eyes burning with something that was going to haunt him for the rest of his life.

_How can… how can girls… how can guys… uhh!_

Ryou's innocent mind had just been destroyed.

* * *

Bakura jumped slightly as the latch to the apartment unlocked, revealing a slightly harassed looking Ryou in the walkway.

_ImeanhowcantheyIdontunderstandhowtheycandoithowdotheydoitlikethatImeanitsnotrealItcantbe!!_

_Um, Hikari? _Bakura was bombarded by all these thoughts and Ryou nervously began to fiddle with the afternoon paper. It was obvious that Ryou wasn't sending him these thoughts on purpose, and he doubted that the younger boy even noticed him there at all.

_Hikari!_

Ryou jumped as the creepy sounding voice filled his head. Bakura giggled at his reaction, but then stopped as the expression changed back to confusion.

_What's wrong? _Seeing as Bakura sounded genuinely concerned, Ryou decided to respond.

_This picture… Yami!! Two girls… they were… Im sorry, Yami! _More confusion flooded the link, and Bakura was almost going to shut it off. _Don't hurt me!_

_What were they doing? _Bakura demanded somewhat softly. He was in a good mood today.

_They were… naked and-!!_

Good mood over. Bakura knew EXACTLY what he was talking about, because you never got two girls in a picture together naked doing someone trivial like drinking coffee. So, it had to be…

"Hikari, I need to have a word with you…" He sounded more angry than he intended. Ryou was hesitant to go over to Bakura, but did so obediently, sitting down beside him with a skittish air. When ever Bakura said that, he was going to do something bad: or was preparing to hurt someone.

"Y-yes, Yami?" Big, auburn eyes glanced up to look at him, swirling with an unreadable mix of emotions.

"… Do you know what sex is?"

Ryou stared, and then looked all panicky. He went to leap off the bed and make a dash for the bedroom, but Bakura stopped and pinned him down by his wrists so that he was above him. Ryou looked teary eyed.

"Rape-!!"

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Bakura hissed, tightening his hold. "Where did that come from?!" The little Hikari yelped at the sudden pressure on his wrists, but Bakura didn't budge.

"S-s-sorry, Ba-"

"Accepted." Bakura huffed, but stayed where he was. Ryou wasn't going _anywhere. _"Listen, Ryou. I would NEVER rape you, ok?"

Ryou nodded.

"Good. So, my innocent little yadonushi, where did you get this 'rape' business from anyway?"

"T-these boys in s-s-school said I w-was going to get r-raped really easy, Y-yami!!" The Hikari closed his eyes to avoid those piercing eyes. "Is it true?"

"Well… yeah… you couldn't exactly stand up well in a fight-" Ryou was looking tearful again as he opened his eyes. "Uhh… your not going to get raped anytime soon." He put on a reassuring smile, but it wasn't returned.

"And the picture-"

"Ppppfffttt, don't tell me you have never seen stuff like that before!!" the Yami smirked, rolling his eyes when Ryou shook his head. "Awww, my Hikari is a total_ virgin._"

"Ba-a-"

"Seems like you don't know a lot about this subject." Bakura smirked even more, like he was an expert, which made Ryou go all wide eyed.

_But I don't understand how Women have se-_

_Its pretty easy. _Bakura spoke through the link. _Its not like man and women sex at all. There's no penetration, no real niceness, blah blah blah, though some women buy them strap on dicks-_

"Yami, stop it!" Ryou squirmed, but Bakura was too heavy to budge. "I don't like this topic!"

"Well you should, if you are not _gay, _that is." Ryou could see the glint of mischief in Bakura's eyes.

"What…?"

"See, Ryou…" Bakura put his face right next to Ryou's, so that there nose's were touching. "What would you do if I did this?"

Ryou shivered a little. It was unnerving, when you had crimson eyes watching your every move from around 8cm's away from yours, swirling with something that Ryou could not identify. There was soft, gentle breaths gracing his neck, and white strands of hair tangling with his own. The younger one was frozen. He could see every eyelash, every tooth, every time Bakura's heart beated, every everything. He didnt like it.

"And what, Hikari…" Bakura leaned in even closer. "If I did… this…" Bakura closed his eyes and put his mouth next to Ryou's.

"Y-y-yammii…." Ryou was shaking and feebly squirming, but he couldn't. His Yami was going… going too…

"Ryou…" It was said so breathlessly and quietly, Ryou had to almost strain to hear it. And then, suddenly…

Bakura _licked _the side of his face with a long, wet tongue.

"ARRRGGGG!!"

Bakura sprang off of him, collapsing on the floor with laughter and Ryou attempted to wipe the spit off of his face with the bed sheets. By the time he had gotten it all off, his Yami was struggling to breathe.

"Oh….man…your…faaace!!" Bakura roared, gripping his sides. "You thought… you thought!!"

Ryou just glared at him grumpily, not liking his mind to be toyed with like that.

"Mean Yami!!" Ryou pouted, all confusion forgotten. "How can you do that?!"

Bakura stopped rolling around and resorted to chuckling as he shakily got up and straightened himself out.

"They are right, little one." He snorted. "You _are _easy to rape."

"You talk as if you had done it."

Bakura only winked.

Ryou was actually beginning to wonder what his Yami had been doing to him while he was asleep.

"I mean, sheesh, Ryou! You didnt even struggle! What are you, a whore?!" It was said somewhat angrily, but the eyes of the speaker held no anger. "I mean, did you want me to kiss you or something? Because, you know-"

"Bakura, why are you all horny today? Stop it, its scary." Ryou cut him off, smirking in satisfaction as Bakura gasped and folded his arms moodily across his chest.

"I am _not. _Im teaching you a lesson, aren't I?" The man pouted, going red faced. "Its is brotherly love between us, nothing else."

"Oooo, you love me now?" Ryou's eyes were shining as he looked up hopefully at Bakura.

"Ok, you are so totally gay."

"Baaaakura!" Ryou whined, hugging him close.

"Fine." He huffed, patting his Hikari's hair like the boy had done at school. "I love you. But, if you get raped, its _your _fault. Because you dont fight back at all."

"Well maybe if I didnt have someone pinning me down-"

"They pin you down, Ryou!! THATS THE POINT OF RAPE, SO YOU DONT ESCAPE!" Bakura was looking all flustered for some odd reason.

"You sure seem to know alot on the subject. Are you sure you are not gay, yami? Because I think you are." Ryou looked up at him, just in time to see him smirk.

"This is coming from the one still hanging from my waist?" He chuckled. Ryou imediatly let go, and blushed.

"Exactly." The tomb robber smirked.

* * *

Not that I have anything against gays!! I WRITE YAOI, FOR GOD SAKE!! XDXDXD I just wanted to write a scene like this.

Lol, I have been dead for a while… o.o Though Im alive again! :3 Soz for the crappiness of this… -.-;;

I cant really remember what the reviews were answering too, so I shall answer then next chapter! :D Thankies to you all!

Love,

Whitewolfkitsune xxx

Reviewing will show Bakura that Ryou isn't gay. XD


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